Writing desk for truck vehicles



July 23, 1957 E. MOLlNARl WRITING DESK FOR TRUCK VEHICLES Filed "out. 27, 1955 ATTOR/VA-Y United States Patent WRITING DESK FOR TRUCK VEHICLES Everett Molinari, Far Rockaway, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Julius S. Burger, Long Beach, N. Y.

Application October 27, 1955, Serial No. 543,216

4 Claims. (Cl. 45-58) This invention pertains to new and useful improvements in writing desks. It is particularly concerned with a writing desk of an improved and practical nature which, though subject to wide application, finds special use in vehicles.

Drivers of commercial vehicles, especially trucks, are required to make written note of a multitude of various happenings during each trip. Some of the things that are recorded are time of starting and ending of trip, various stops and deliveries made, receipts and payments, and a variety of other events that normally arise during each trip. It is fitting and necessary for convenience, efiici ency, in the interests of saving time, and so as to have accurate and readily accessible records, that each truck be equipped with a writing desk for attending to such matters.

It is not unusual to see the operator of a delivery truck using the tail-board or wall of the truck, a book, or the back of his helper as a support in writing out a receipt or other memo. Nor is it unusual to see him subsequently stutf a duplicate or memorandum of the event in his hat, pocket or under his seat. This manner of doing things is not business-like, nor efficient, and obviously reflects badly upon the operator of the truck and the company he represents.

An object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a desk for the foregoing purposes, which is of a practical nature and suitable for commercial vehicles, particularly trucks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a writing desk that may be mounted in a simple and practical manner in a truck or other vehicle, so that it will not only serve the functions of a desk but will at all times be readily accessible to the driver and yet at no time be in his way.

A more particular object of this invention is to provide a Writing desk that is attachable to the instrument board of a vehicle, includes a compartment for the storage of papers, has a holder for a writing instrument, means for securing papers on a writing surface, and which is adjustable to a level position for writing purposes and is adjustable to another position when not being so used.

A further particular object of this invention is to provide novel means for mounting a writing desk to the instrument board of a commercial vehicle in a location where it will be readily accessible for use by the driver.

A still further particular object of the invention is to provide a unique bracket for attaching a Writing desk to an instrument board of a vehicle, which includes means for angularly adjusting the desk to a plurality of positions, one of which may be a level position for writing use, and another may be an out-'of-th'e-way position for when not in use.

The invention further lies in its particular construction and in the general arrangement of its component parts, as well as in their cooperative association with one another to produce the purposes intended.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows,

taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description, and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a writing desk embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the desk in a substantially horizontally disposed position and associated with the instrument board of a truck;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the desk board in depending position; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing a further method of securing the bracket to the instrument board of a truck.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent identical parts, there is shown a rigid board 1 having a hard and smooth top surface suitable for supporting papers for writing purposes. The board is preferably of rectangular proportions, and may be fashioned of a variety of materials such as plywood, pressedboard, plastics, and others.

A shallow compartment is provided beneath the board as a repository for maps, papers, and the like. This compartment is defined by a shallow pan 2 of rectangular proportions, having a bottom plate 3, and end walls 4 and a side wall 5 unitary with the bottom plate. The pan is attached to the underside of board 1 by suitable fasteners 6 engaging flanges 7 along the upper edges of walls '4 and 5 with the board. The pan is open in one side, as at 8, to permit insertion of papers into the compartment defiined by the pan.

It is desirable that the desk board be supported in a vehicle, such as a truck, where it will be readily accessible to the driver. A conventional substantially horizontally disposed under lip or panel 9 of the instrument board 10 of trucks is particularly suited for this purpose. Bracket means 11, representing an important feature of this invention, is provided to support the desk board to this under panel of the instrument board. The instrument board panel 9 provides a conventional hole 12 to which the bracket may be attached. If there is no hole, one can easily be made.

The bracket means comprises an elongated bar 13 which includes an elongated slot 14 near one end thereof. A bolt 15 passed through hole 12 and slot 14 and engaging a wing nut 16 may be used to rigidly fasten the bar to the instrument board panel. Bar 13 is of sulficient length to project a little forwardly of the front wall 17 of the instrument board. It may be moved or adjusted in this respect by means of its slot 14 relative to the bolt and wing nut elements.

Fixed to the forward end of bar 153 is a cylindrical cross rod 18. The desk board 1 is hingedly mounted to this rod by means of a pair of strap members 19. The straps are elongated, and are mounted fast to the underside of the desk board, one along the marginal left side, and the other along the opposite marginal side. A free end of each strap projects beyond an end of the board and terminates in a loop 20. Each loop provides a horizontally disposed hole which is in parallel relation to the rod. The holes of the loop elements are aligned with each other. Opposite ends of rod 13 are freely received in the aligned loops, whereby the desk board is angularly pivotable about the rod.

The desk board may be pivoted on rod 18 to a selected one of a plurality of positions, and may be latched in its selected position. To enable this action spaced pins 21 fixed in and projecting radially from rod 18 are engageable with selected complementary slots 22 formed radially across the left end walls of the loop members.

The slots are arranged so that, when the desk board is slots and to hold them therein.

, In the operation of the device, let it be assumed that the desk board is in its depending position, as indicated in Fig. 4 and by the broken line in Fig. 2. In this position, the pins 21will be engaged in crossslots 25 of the loop members, and will be held therein by the force of spring 23 acting on the loop members. If it is desired to bring the board to a horizontal plane for writing purposes, as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the engaged pins are released from the slots by holding knob 24 with one hand and by exerting a force on the board to the right with the other hand against the tension of the spring so as to draw the slots free from the pins. The board is then pivoted to its desired horizontal position, bringing cross slots 26 into registry with the pins. The board is then allowed to move to the left undenthe action of the spring to bring the slots into latched engagement with the pin members, as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. a

The hole 12 mentioned earlier in this description is located in the panel 9 at a point to the right of the steering mechanism 27 of the truck. This is desirable, so as to locate the desk board to the right of the driver where it can be used without interfering with the operation of the vehicle. When the desk board is dropped to its depending position, broken line Fig. 2, it is noted that it will hang low and to the right of the driver where it will be out of his way. The distance that the bar 13 projects from under the instrument board may be adjusted by means of the bolt and slot means 15, 14.

The strength of the attaching bracket bar 13 is increased by providing depending flanges 28 longitudinal of its edges.

A suitable clamp 29 is mounted to the surface of the board for securing the position of papers on the board.

A clip 30 defined by a semi-circular body 31, fixed to the surface of the board, is adapted to provide a channel for the reception of a pencil. The clip is of resilient material, and a tongue 32 depressed from the material into the channel serves to press against a pencil received in the latter and to hold it fast.

InFig. is shown a clamp 33 which may be used to secure the bar member 13 to the instrument board under panel 9 when the latter does not have a hole 12 and it is not desired to make one.' Clamp 33 comprises a pair of free plates 34 spaced above one another at one end by washer elements, 35 carried on a bolt 36 passed through the upper plate and threaded into the lower plate. The spacing between the plates allows the panel member 9 and the bar to be inserted between the plates at the other end. A second bolt 37 passed through the upper plate and threadable in the lower plate is located near the middle of the plates. The spacing between the plates may be regulated by increasing or decreasing the number of washers 35. It is desirable that the spacing be slightly less thanthe combined thickness of the bar member and panel 9, so that a slight loosening of the rear end bolt 36 is required to enable insertion of the combined bar and panel between the plates. It can be seen, by the foregoing structure that, upon tightening the bolts ,36-and 37, the panel and bar members will be securelyand rigidly clamped together, V

While an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various 7 changes can be made in the designand arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the spirit and scope of the invention, as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art; and it is my intent, therefore, to claim the invention not only in the form shown and described but also in all such forms and modifications thereof as may reasonably be construed to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is;

1. The combination with a horizontally disposed under panel of the instrument board of a truck wherein the panel has a hole therethrough located in the panel to the right of the steering mechanism, of a desk board of rectangular proportions and having a smooth top surface, hinge bracket means carried at one end by-the. board, bolt and nut means received in the said hole and in a slot formed in an opposite end of the hinge bracket means for adjustably positioning the'desk board relative to the said panel and for fastening the hinge bracket means to the said panel, the board being pivotable on the hinge bracket means from a depending position to a horizontally disposed position at the right of the steering mechanism,

latching means carried by the hinge bracket means for latching the board in its horizontally disposed pivoted position.

2. In the combination with a horizontally disposed under panelof the instrument board of a vehicle, of a desk board, hinge bracket means pivotally attaching the desk board to the said panel, the desk board being pivotable on the hinge bracket means from a normally depending position to alevel position for writing purposes, the hinge bracket means comprising a horizontally disposed bar member detachably fastened to the said under panel vat one end and projecting forwardly from the panel at the other'end, a cross rod fixed across the latter end, a pair of straps unitary with the desk board and projecting in parallel spaced relation from one end of the desk board, and a pair of loop members terminating the straps and pivotally engaging opposite ends of the cross rod.

3. In the combination as 'in claim 2, wherein latching means is provided for latching the desk board in its pivoted level position, the latching means comprising radial slots formed across an end face of one of the loop members and pin elements carried on the cross rod engageable upon pivoting of the desk board to level position with the radial slots so as to hold the desk board latched in such position, and other means is provided for adjusting the forward position of the bar member relative to the said under panel.

4. In the combination as in claim 2, wherein latching means is provided for latching the desk board in its pivoted level position, the latching means comprising pin elements projecting radially from the cross 'rod, complementary slots formed in end faces of the loop members, the slots being registrable with the'pin elements upon pivoting of the desk board to level position, and spring means on the cross rod urging the loop members to bring the slots thereof into latching engagement with the pin elements to hold the desk board in its level position.

References Cited in the file of this patent 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 

